Institute of Virology
Kinderspitalgasse 15
A-1095 Vienna, Austria
phone: + 431 40490 79510
fax: + 431 40490 9795
Email:franz.x.heinz@meduniwien.ac.at
Website: www.virologie.meduniwien.ac.at/home
Research interests
Our group studies specific aspects of the molecular biology and immunology of flaviviruses. These are small enveloped viruses comprising a number of important human pathogens, such as yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. A major focus of our research is directed towards the elucidation of structurefunction
relationships of flavivirus envelope glycoproteins that mediate receptor-binding and membrane fusion activity and are the targets for protective antibody responses. In the area of molecular antigenic structure we are interested in the structural basis of antibody-mediated virus neutralization and cross-reactivity between viruses exhibiting different degrees of antigenic relationships.
Selected publications
Stiasny, K., Kiermayr, S., Holzmann, H. & Heinz, F. X. (2006). Cryptic properties of a cluster of dominant flavivirus cross-reactive antigenic sites. J. Virol. 80, 9557-9568.
Stiasny, K. & Heinz, F. X. (2006). Flavivirus membrane fusion. J Gen Virol 87, 2755-2766.
Bressanelli, S., Stiasny, K., Allison, S. L., Stura, E. A., Duquerroy, S., Lescar, J., Heinz, F. X. & Rey, F. A. (2004). Structure of a flavivirus envelope glycoprotein in its low-pH-induced membrane fusion conformation. Embo J 23, 728-38.
Ferlenghi, I., Clarke, M., Ruttan, T., Allison, S. L., Schalich, J., Heinz, F. X., Harrison, S. C., Rey, F. A. & Fuller, S. D. (2001). Molecular organization of a recombinant subviral particle from tick-borne encephalitis virus. Mol Cell 7, 593-602.
